The concept of a magnetic levitation train has been around for than 60 years now. This was a brainchild of a German Scientist Hermann Kemper. On Aug. 14, 1934, he received a patent for the magnetic levitation of trains in Germany.
In the mid 1900s, Britain became the first country to introduce a magnetic levitation service. It was to link two terminals at Birmingham airport about 400 meters long and a top speed of about 10-mph. However it was recently replaced with a bus service due to difficulty of getting spare parts.
Since then, there has been a lot of research and experiments for Magnetic Levitation Trains. In Germany, the TRANSAPID project is one intended to connect Berlin and Hamburg using this principle. If it all works on time then it should be operational by 2005. The journey time will be no more than 60 minutes for the 292-km giving rise to an impressive 292 kph average speed.
In Japan, after fundamental tests in the laboratory to verify the feasibility of high-speed running at 500 kph, the construction work of a 7-km test track began in Japan's Miyazaki Prefecture in 1975. The manned two-car vehicle registered a speed of 400.8 kph in 1987. In 1997, the project in a three-car train set achieved world speed records, attaining a maximum speed of 531 kph in a manned vehicle run on December 12 and a maximum speed of 550 kph in an unmanned vehicle on December 24. On Apr. 14, 1999, a five-car train set surpassed the speed record, attaining a maximum speed of 552 kph in a manned vehicle run.
The principle of a magnetic train is that it floats on a magnetic field and is propelled by a linear induction motor. They follow guidance tracks with magnets. These trains are often referred to as Magnetically Levitated, which is abbreviated, to Maglev.
Maglev is a system in which the vehicle runs levitated from the guide way (corresponding to the rail tracks of conventional railways) by using electromagnetic forces between super conducting magnets on board the vehicle and coils on the ground. A maglev train floats about 10 mm above the guide way on a magnetic field. It is propelled by the guide way itself rather than an onboard engine by changing magnetic fields. Once the train is pulled into the next section the magnetism switches so that the train is pulled on again. The Electro-magnets run the length of the guide way.
The primary advantage of a magnetic levitated train is maintenance. Because the train floats along there is no contact with the ground and therefore no need for any moving parts. As a result there are no components that would wear out. This means that trains and track would need no maintenance at all. The second advantage is that because maglev trains float; there is no friction and noise. And finally, the speed as a result it is more viable for said maglev trains to travel extremely fast, i.e. about 500 kph.
However, there are several disadvantages with maglev trains. Maglev guide paths are bound to be more costly than conventional steel railways. The other main disadvantage is lack with existing infrastructure. For example, if a high-speed line between two cities is built, then high-speed maglev trains can only serve both cities but would not be able to serve other lines or normal railways branching out therefrom which require normal speed. This means that maglev trains are strictly limited only to high-speed lines and not flexible enough to serve other lines. Although the Maglev technology has been around for quite some time now, however its application was concentrated on the use of trains.
After a careful and thorough research and conceptualization of the Principle of Magnetic Levitation, a break through technology has been adapted wherein such principle is applied to cars. This off the railroad application of Maglev Technology will certainly transform the way people move in the future.
Basically the concept and propulsion between the Maglev trains the Maglev car may seem similar, but they work differently from each other. Unlike the Maglev train, which run and work only on a Maglev rail track in a very limited route whereby its movement and direction is very limited, the Maglev car on the other hand works like an automobile, and can freely move anywhere it goes, and with distinct feature and characteristic wherein it can move in an Omni directional manner.
The primary object of this invention therefore is to provide a Magnetic Levitated car that solves the drawbacks inherent to the existing Maglev trains.
Another object of this invention is to provide a Magnetic Levitated car that runs on magnetic roads, uses magnets instead of tires and runs by means of batteries instead of gas,
Still an object of this invention is to provide a Magnetic Levitated car that is environment friendly since no air pollutants that comes off the car nor noise that is being produced thereof.
Yet, an object of this invention is to provide a Magnetic Levitated car having a polarity similar to the polarity of the magnetic roads that when engaged, the car floats or suspended in mid-air.
A further object of this invention is to provide a Magnetic Levitated car having electro-magnetic wheels that uses the opposite polarity with respect to the polarity of the magnetic road in an “off” and “on” manner. This will cause an attraction intermittently creating therefore movement from one point to another point in one direction or to a different direction as to turning, depending on the rotation of the electro-magnetic wheels.